One of the biggest comic books to be released this week was Standoff: Assault On Pleasant Hill from the creative team of writer Nick Spencer, artists Daniel Acuña, Angel Unzueta, and colorist Matt Wilson. Last week Marvel released a teaser in preparation for the finale of the excellent Avengers: Standoff crossover event.This teaser, as seen below seemed to hint at the return of some sort. The guesses ranged from the original Captain Marvel, to the image having something to do with next week’s return of Thunderbolts. So who ended up returning, and did they help put an end Zemo’s quest for a Cosmic Cube? Find out below, and beware of spoilers.
SPOILER ALERT: MAJOR DETAILS OF ASSAULT ON PLEASANT HILL OMEGA DISCUSSED BELOW!
Last we saw S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Avril Kincaid in Sam Wilson: Captain America #8 she had worked her way through the streets of the overrun Pleasant Hill, and into the museum where a powerful weapon was supposed to be hidden. She met The Curator, a mysterious character who for some reason had not yet reverted back to his original persona. To make matters even more odd, he claimed to know who she was, and exactly what she was looking for,
In this week’s Standoff: Assault On Pleasant Hill Omega, The Curator tells Agent Kincaid that he had asked Maria Hill to be placed in Pleasant Hill as a way to keep the great power he once possessed out of the wrong hands, and the proceeds to reveal himself to be Wendell Vaughn, a.k.a. Quasar. The secret weapon he presents to Agent Kincaid? The quantum bands that are the source of Quasar’s powers.
Not only did we see the return of Wendell Vaughn after a nearly five year absence, but we saw him pass the mantle of Quasar to Avril Kincaid by giving her the quantum bands so she can help save the day by putting an end to the mess that transpired at Pleasant Hill.
Despite Avril Kincaid being the new Quasar, it appears that Wendell’s story isn’t finished. When we last see the characters Maria Hill says “Our old friend Wendell Vaughn is training someone for duty as we speak.” Hopefully this means that we will see Vaughn train his successor over time, and we can see the bond between teacher and student develop over time. Avril has already proven to be a character one can’t help but be drawn to, and that is only after appearances in three issues. The potential is sky high for this new take on Quasar, and having the original bearer of the powers around would help bridge the past, present, and future of the character’s legacy.
Background On Quasar
Wendell Vaughn was created by Don Glut, Roy Thomas, and John Buscema in Captain America #217 in January 1978 where he went by the name Marvel Boy. A little over a year later, in April 1979, the character’s code name was changed to Quasar in Incredible Hulk #234.
Under the pen of Mark Gruenwald Quasar would join the Avengers in 1989’s Avengers Annual #18. Later that year Gruenwald and artist Paul Ryan would launch Quasar. The ongoing series would last 60 issues.
During this time he became a high profile character in the cosmic corner of the Marvel Universe where his solo series crossed over with major cosmic events such as Infnity Gauntlet, Infinity War, and Operation Galactic Storm. Within the last decade, he was featured in 2006’s Anhiliarion: Nova mini series, where he met his apparent demise..
Phyla-Vell took over as Quasar during Vaughn’s absence, but he would soon return to the land of the living in 2009’s Realm Of Kings. Following his resurrection he was featured in 2010’s Thanos Imperative, and was the leader of the team in the two Annihilators minis. The last time he was seen before today was almost five years ago in Annihilators: Earthfall #4.
What does the return of Wendell Vaughn, the quantum bands, and subsequent passing of the mantle to Avril Kincaid mean for the future of Quasar? For some fans these days, Quasar may be better known as a rumored character for Guardians of The Galaxy Vol. 2. Does this development mean there’s a greater chance of seeing a version of the character in live action? In what comic will Avril and Wendell appear next? There are a lot of questions still left to be answered, but from just this issue it appears that fans have a lot to be excited about. How do you feel about Quasar’s return? As always let us know in the comments, or on Twitter @TheMarvelReport.